Mahood takes on Freeland on Terminal Expansion

We take some pride in being relatively informed and involved citizens. So we won’t apologize for keeping you informed about our views.

A previous Liberal government, at the urging of an ill-informed promoter, Toronto Liberal MP Dennis Mills, made Toronto a port even though it failed to meet the government’s criteria for the designation of ports. Ports Toronto did not have the traffic and hence the income to pay its own way. This established the dependency relationship between the port and the airport. Without the airport and Porter Airlines, it has been credibly argued, Ports Toronto would be bankrupt.

As this dependency developed, the airport became one of the blocks, perhaps the major one, for the intelligent renewal of the waterfront, a waterfront in Ontario’s public interest. We could go on with this case but will hold back.

This brings us to the latest Ports Toronto offence. What is going on when there is a planned massive expansion of the island Airport Terminal without public consultation? Would it be too much to ask that the Harper appointees to Ports Toronto be put to pasture and a board appointed that is knowledgeable about cities and water front redevelopment?

Ultimately, a Liberal government will “wear” or “own” the results for the airport mess that is developing there. Toronto Island is a jewel that the Trudeau government should be protecting.